Ginger haired locals and abandoned piers.

On Eilean Balnagowan the SE wind had increased and was now F5 gusting to F6. We decided that further progress southward would be futile especially since the tide had now turned and was also running north. We decided to return to Ballachuilish.. Mike thought that the conditions were not ideal for paddle sailing but Ian decided to give it a try. He hoisted his sail in the lee of Balnagowan and set off at a cracking pace. Once out into the full strength of the wind and the tide he decided that perhaps Mike had been right and that discretion was the better part of valour  and dropped his sail.

I shouted to Mike and Ian to keep a lookout for each other and I  hoisted my sail and set off for the headland some 1.1km distant. It was a broad reach with a 3km/hr flood tide running R to L across our path. The water became increasingly confused as we approached the headland as the west going tide, pouring out of the sweep of Cuil Bay, met the main north going flood which had gone up the west side of Eilean Balnagowan. It was superb fun.

I paddle sailed the 1.1km in 5minutes 7 seconds and averaged 12.9km/hr and Mike in the Aries and Ian in the Cetus MV paddled it in 9 minutes 55 seconds and averaged 6.7km/hr.

My Aries was only planing for short distances as the waves were rather short and confused. However, the power of the sail helped me catch just about any wave available, even if only for a short ride. I think the speed difference would have been even greater if we had had more even following seas.

 As we proceeded north we gradually entered the lee of the mountains,  the wind dropped and...

...Ian and Mike got their sails going again.  But soon it was back to...

 ...paddling until we reached...

 ...Rubha nam Moine...

 ...with its distinctive trees. We stopped just round the point where...

 ...we were joined by some ginger haired locals.

We took a diversion into tiny Kentallan Bay the entrance of which is marked by its distinctive pier house above the old pier.
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 The west side of the bay is composed of the steeply wooded slopes of Ardsheal hill. The Bay is a submerged geological fault and at its head...

...there is an old landing place where...

...the sad remains of a flat bottom turntable ferry. These were used on both the Ballachuilish and Corran routes until the mid 1970's. This one had seen better days, though its engine block was still in situ.

 It wasn't just old boats that had seen better days...

We set off home along the east coast of Kentallen Bay passing...

 Ardsheal pier on the way. Steamers used to deliver goods here until the railway from Oban to Ballachilish was built in 1903. At that time a new pier was built beside the Kentallen Railway Station, which is now a hotel. The rock on the north side of Kentallen Bay is an unusual igneous intrusion called Kentallenite.

 We hugged the shore to keep out of the increasingly cold wind and before long...

 ...the Pap of Glencoe reappeared in the east.

 Not much remains of...

 ...the timber part of Ballachuilish Pier but...

 ...the slates of its stone part are still in good shape.

The flood tide now carried us at a good rate of knots as the snow clouds gathered over the Glen Coe mountains.

It was good to see the hotel coming up and we made sure we broke out of the current in order to land at the old ferry slipway.

The Ballachuillish hotel proved really excellent. After a nice warm bath  nothing beats a pint of sports recovery drink by a warm log fire followed by an...

...excellent meal. Mike had mussels to start, Ian had Cullen Skink and I had the vegetarian haggis, neaps and tatties starter. We all had shank of lamb as main course. Yum yum.

All in all another truly excellent day.

Amid the decay, something brought a smile to our faces.

 A few weeks ago, David, Mike, Phil and myself set off from the open Firth of Clyde up the confluence of the Irvine and Garnock estuaries.

At first things did not look too promising. This old boat had clearly seen better days and decay seemed to be...

...the order of the day as we passed long abandoned jetties.

 Then as we...

...passed under an old bridge in the Garnock estuary ...

 ...our mood lightened and...

...something brought a smile to our faces.

The best sea kayaking day trip.

Photo by Ian Johnston.

After our hot descent from the summit of Ailsa Craig it was a relief to cool off by plunging into the cool clear water off the granite spit. Two grey seals swam alongside us but were fortunately not too inquisitive.

 We then set off on an anticlockwise circumnavigation...

...below increasingly vertiginous cliffs. This area is the site of the former green  granite quarry. You can see the large number of quarried blocks to the side of the south foghorn.

 Great columns of rock soared into the sky though what we see today is just the volcanic plug. The original cone was 3500m high but was carried away by the glaciation of the Ice Ages. Erratic Ailsa Craig rock can be found all the way down the Irish sea coasts.

 This is where the gannet colonies begin, the flat tops...

...of rock columns are particularly favoured.

 It is possible to walk right round Ailsa Craig but only at spring low water as Stranny Point and...

 ...the Water Cave pose a formidable barrier at other states of the tide.

Beyond the Water Cave is the main gannet colony and the deafening croaking and overpowering smell ads to the spectacle...

...of thousands of wheeling birds in the air. It is literally raining with bird shit so bring a hat.

 Some gannets were fishing and...

 ...a fish would be lucky to escape their stuka dives.

 ...and plunge into the depths.

 This one could hardly take off, its gizzard was so full of fish.

Next we came to the green slope where...

 ...the puffins hang out! Their numbers are steadily increasing since the island's  rats were exterminated.

 A steady stream were flying in with sand eels in their beaks for hungry chicks.

After the puffins came...

...guillemot city.

 " I am not quite sure he is one of us..."

 Then it was the cormorants. 1st cormorant on a rock: "I look down on him because I am upper class."

2nd cormorant on a rock: "I look up to him because he is upper class but I look down on him because he is lower class."

3rd cormorant on a rock: "I know my place."

 As you swing round the NW of Ailsa Craig the vertical cliffs become...

 ...even more vertical, if that is possible!

 Next we came to the grey seals, some were very big and...

...some were very small.

 This one is called Gollum, it followed us right round the Craig.

 We rounded the great cliffs of the Eagle's Seat which tower over the...

 ...north fog horn and the Swine Cave.

Next on our tour was the blue hone granite quarry which had a narrow gauge tramway back to the lighthouse area.

All too soon we were back at the lighthouse. This is where photographs stop. Despite a forecast of light winds we left Ailsa Craig into a line of breaking white water. Out of nowhere a wind at the top end of F4 got up from the SE which was 45 degrees off our bows. The tide between Ailsa Craig moves in great swirls and sometimes tide was with the wind and sometimes against. Occasional braces were required in the breaking waves. As the sky to the SE grew darker we pushed on and despite the partial headwind completed the crossing in 1hr 55 minutes which was considerably faster than our usual time of 2 hours 45 minutes. It's amazing what a little adrenaline can do!

So our mission to Ailsa Craig had been accomplished, Ian had made it despite missing our last camping trip to the Craig. He had left his home near Aberdeen at 04:30 on the Friday and managed to get back by 01:30 the following morning. Ailsa Craig...a day trip from Grampian, who would have thought?

Ian and I cannot think of a better day paddle, stiff hill walk and incredible wild life experience than a trip to Ailsa Craig!